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Books, Chinese, Classics, Culture, Featured »

[10 Aug 2009 | No Comment | ]
She-Devils of the Song Dynasty: Pan Jinlian

Outlaws of the Marsh, awesome as it may be, is basically a man’s book. The primary relationships it describes are brotherly (its alternate title is All Men Are Brothers), and women, when they’re not relegated to the sidelines, are portrayed as lustful, catty deceivers who betray the men who rescue them. Twice in twenty episodes the same storyline is repeated: good man marries poor beauty, only to have her cheat on him. He forgives her and even offers her a no-strings divorce so she can be with her lover, but …

American, Books, Culture, Featured, Nonfiction »

[8 Aug 2009 | No Comment | ]
You’re Safer Than You Think: Advocates For A Less Fearful Life

Once, I helped out at a church daycare, looking after eight one- to two-year-olds while their moms were at Bible study (translation: coffee and chatting, though, after learning how active toddlers can be, I was happy to help those moms get a break). One week, a woman who usually watched over the under-ones came to assist me and the (wonderful) homeschooled teenager who was my partner-in-toddler-wrangling. And she was absolutely horrified that we did not wash all the toys and spray them down with Lysol after the kids went …

Books, Classics, Comics, Featured, Pop Culture »

[20 Jul 2009 | No Comment | ]
Elizabeth Bennet Is My Wonder Woman

Pride and Prejudice and comic books seem to belong to two separate universes: one’s high tea with scones and clotted cream, the other’s hot buttered popcorn; one’s a hike through the Cotswolds, while the other’s a snowboard ride down a slope with plenty of moguls. But now, the two worlds have collided: There’s a P&P comic book, and geek girls everywhere can rejoice.

American, Books, Culture, Featured »

[11 Jul 2009 | 2 Comments | ]
Books That Make You Dumb; or, Are We a Nation of Literature Snobs?

Are readers of Gabriel Garcia Marquez smarter than fans of Nicholas Sparks? If you loved Lolita, does that mean you’ve got more going on upstairs than someone whose favorite book is He’s Just Not That Into You? We book nerds want to believe the answer’s a resounding “yes” (though, if pressed, we’ll admit that one can lead a fulfilling life without being able to name five characters from Pride and Prejudice) and now, we have been vindicated. Sort of.